God’s Desire for
the Church in Philadelphia

Meeting 1 – God’s Desire for the Church in Philadelphia

1.     God desire for His church

a.     Son of Man walking in the midst of His churches (Rev. 1:11-20)

b.    He purchased His church by His own blood (Acts. 20:28)

c.     He loves His church (Eph. 5:25)

2.     The condition of His church

a.     Left your first love – Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-7)

b.    Persecuted – Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11)

c.     Compromised – Pergamos (Rev. 2:12-17)

d.    Corrupted – Thyatira (Rev. 2:18-29)

e.     Dead – Sardis (Rev. 3:1-6)

f.     Faithful – Philadelphia (Rev. 3:7-13)

g.    Lukewarm and opinionated – Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22)

3.     Where are we today?

a.     Ask the Lord to examine our condition (Psa. 139:23-24)

b.    We all should have open ears as written in all the letters (Rev. 2:7, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22)

c.     Pray that the Lord would give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation, that our eyes of our understanding being enlightened (Eph. 1:17-18)

d.    Turning our hearts to the Lord – to repent (2.Cor. 3:16-18; Rev. 3:19)

e.     Having our hearts consumed with God’s desire – the church (Acts 13:22)

Meeting 2 – Knowing and Experiencing the Lord as the Church

1.     You have little strength (Rev. 3:8)

a.     The appearing of the Lord leads to knowing and experiencing Him more and more (Gal. 1:15-18;)

b.    The Lord’s appearing causes us to be changed by the Lord

i.      Paul (Acts 7:1-19)

ii.     Peter (Acts 10:9-16)

c.     We need to cooperate with our Lord (Phil. 2:12-13)

2.     Who is our Lord?

a.     The holy One (Rev. 3:7)

i.      Our walk must be holy (1. Pet. 1:15, 2. Pet. 3:11, Heb. 12:14)

ii.     Sanctified from the world (John 17:15-19)

iii.     “that she (the church) should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27)

b.    The One who is true (Rev. 3:7)

i.      “I am the truth” (John 14:6)

ii.     One truth, not multiple

iii.    He is the final authority in the church

c.     He has the key of David (Rev. 3:7; Isa. 22:22)

d.    He opens and shuts the door (Rev. 8:7-8)

3.     The danger of not knowing the Lord

a.     The church in Sardis

i.      Being dead (Rev. 3:1)

ii.     The letters kills (2.Cor. 36)

b.    The church in Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22)

i.      Becoming lukewarm (Rev. 3:15-16)

ii.     Thinking that you are rich, wealthy, have need of nothing (Rev. 3:17)

iii.    The real condition of being wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked (Rev. 3:17)

4.     What must we do? (Rev. 3:18)

a.     We must buy from the Lord gold, refined in fire to be rich

i.      Our works tested by fire (1.Cor. 3:12-15)

ii.     A price to be paid

b.    Clothed with white garments

i.      By the cleansing of the water in the word (Eph. 5:26-27)

ii.     Putting on Christ (Gal. 3:27)

iii.    Righteous acts of the saints (Rev. 19:7-8)

c.     Anointed eyes to see

i.      Through prayer – (Eph. 1:16-18)

ii.     Know the anointing (1.John 2:20, 27)

d.    Be open to the Lord’s rebuke and chastening that we may be zealous and repent (Rev. 3:19)

5.     When we see the Lord, we will be changed (Rev. 3:8)

a.     Keep His word

i.      The Lord appeared to Abraham (Acts 7:2, Gen. 12:1-8, Gen. 17:01, Gen 18:01, Gen 22:2)

ii.     Does He know us? (Rev. 3:8)

iii.    We may do many things for the Lord, and yet He does not know us (Matt. 7:21-23)

b.    Not deny His Name

c.     Our transformation (2.Cor. 3:16-18)

i.      Turning our hearts to the Lord

ii.     Beholding His image – the appearing

iii.    Transformed from glory to glory

d.    Without His appearing, we will have no strength to keep His word

Meeting 3 – Our Testimony as the Church

1.     The church belongs to God

a.     A pearl of great price (Matt. 13:45-46)

b.    Purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28; 1.John 3:16)

c.     He builds His church – His masterpiece (Matt. 16:18; Psalm 127:1; Eph. 2:10)

2.     The church as God’s expression

a.     His body (Eph. 1:22-23)

i.      Christ is our head – who is the same Lord, God, and Spirit (1.Cor. 12:4-11)

ii.     Many members – one body, one head (1.Cor. 12:12-27)

iii.    One new man (Rom 6:6-8; Eph. 2:15; 4:24)

iv.    The fullness of Him who fills all in all (Eph. 1:23; Song of Solomon 2:4)

b.    His bride (Eph. 5:25-27; Rev. 19:7-9; 22:17)

i.      Without spots or wrinkles

ii.     Having dove’s eyes (Song of Solomon 1:15)

iii.    His counterpart (Song of Solomon 7:11-12)

c.     The new man (Eph. 4:24)

i.      Putting off our old man (Eph. 4:23)

ii.     Putting on Christ (Gal. 3:27; 2.Cor. 5:17)

d.    His house (Eph. 2:20-22; 1.Tim. 3:16)

i.      God’s dwelling place (Acts 7:48-50; Psalm 132:5; Eph. 2:22)

ii.     Christ is our foundation, chief cornerstone (1.Cor. 3:11; 1.Pet. 2:6-8)

iii.    We are being built into a spiritual house of God (1.Cor. 3:16-17; 1.Pet. 2:5)

iv.    In ourselves we build in vain (Psalm 127:1)

v.     Filled with his glory (Ex. 40:34-38; 2. Chron. 7:2; Hag. 2:9)

e.     His kingdom (Ps. 2:6)

i.      Kingdom cannot be divided (Mark 3:24-27; Ezekiel 37:15-28)

ii.     No room for our own interpretations (2.Pet. 1:19-21; 1. Peter 4:17)

iii.    Fighting a spiritual battle (Eph. 6:10-17; 2. Cor. 10:4-6)

iv.    To exhibit the manifold wisdom of God – to the world and the principalities and powers (Eph. 3:10)

f.     One shepherd and one flock

i.      Hear his voice, know Him, and follow Him (John 8:14, 27; Ex. 33:15)

ii.     Keeping our eyes on the Lord, not on the circumstances

iii.    The little flock will inherit the kingdom (Luk. 12:32)

3.     Knowing and experiencing the Lord must result in our testimony of the Lord as the church

a.     Practical testimony of oneness in the church (Eph. 4:1-7)

b.    One church in one locality (Acts 11:22; 13:1; 1 Cor. 1:2; Rev. 1:11; 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14)

c.     Being one even in difficult times

i.      The Lord's extent of oneness – The reality of oneness in the church that the world would know Him (John 17:20-23; Rom. 15:5-6)

ii.     Oneness is not really an option (Eph. 4)

iii.    Our reaction in trouble

1)     In the flesh (Rom. 1:28-32; 1.Cor. 2:11-13)

2)     In the Spirit (Eph. 4:23, Gal. 3:27; 2.Cor. 5:17)

3)     With Christ as example (Rom. 5:8)

Meeting 4 – The Lord Opens the Door of the Church for the Gospel

1.     The Lord opens and closes the door – no one else can do that (Rev. 3:7-8)

a.     For the people to freely come into His house

b.    He is waiting for men to open their hearts (Rev. 3:20)

c.     God desires all men to be saved and come to the full knowledge of His truth (1 Tim. 2:3-4)

d.    Not by man’s ways to bring people into salvation and the church

2.     Not denying My Name (Rev. 3:8)

a.     Proclaiming the gospel (Rev. 1:5-7)

i.      Jesus Christ – the faithful witness and firstborn from the dead – His death and resurrection

ii.     Loved us and washed us from our sins with His own blood

iii.    To not only save us, but make us kings and priests to His God

b.    Not too young to speak (Jer. 1:4-9)

c.     Not only do we live Christ, but we speak forth His gospel (Phil. 1:27)

3.     Baptism (Mark 16:16)

a.     Put into His death and raise in union in resurrection (Rom. 6:3-6)

b.    Put on Christ (Gal. 3:26)

c.     Put into His body – the church (1.Cor. 12:13)

4.     The Lord opens the eyes to see the great mystery, concerning Christ and the church (Eph. 5:32)

Meeting 5 – God’s Enemy Attack on the Church

1.     God’s enemy – Satan – the father of lies (Rev. 3:9; John 8:44)

a.     His strategy of deception (Gen. 3:1-13)

i.      More cunning (v.1)

ii.     Focused on the woman, the weaker one (v.1; 1.Pet 3:7)

iii.    Uses God’s word to confuse and deceive you (v.1-3; 1.Tim 2:14)

iv.    Contradicts God’s word (v.4)

v.     Does not lead us to God (v. 5)

b.    The results of His deception

i.      Man’s independence from God (v.6)

ii.     Doing what is good in man’s eyes and not God’s eyes (Deu.12:8-9)

iii.    Causes us to cover ourselves, to go into darkness, according to our way (v.7)

iv.    Hide from God (v.8-9)

v.     Causes us to be afraid of God (v. 10)

vi.    Ultimately division by blaming one another (v.11-12)

2.     The main weapon to damage the church is confusion leading to division

a.     Enemy’s attacks on the seven churches in Revelation chapter 2 and 3

b.    Savage wolves not sparing the flock (Acts 20:29)

c.     Drawing away the disciples after themselves (Acts 20:30)

i.      Avoid those who cause division (Rom. 16:17-18)

ii.     The Lord did not go after those who do not follow Him (Matt. 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30)

3.     The church’s defense

a.     Pray much for:

i.      The spirit of wisdom and revelation (Eph. 1:18-19)

ii.     The Lord to grant us discernment (Phil. 1:9-10)

b.    Put on the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:10-18)

i.      Recognize the real enemy is the principalities, power, rulers of the darkness of this age, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (v.12)

ii.     To stand (v.13-14)

c.     Not listening

i.      To the lies of the father of lies (John 8:44)

ii.     To the fiery darts of the wicked one (Eph. 6:16)

iii.    To the accuser (Rev. 12:10)

d.    Not being devoured by the roaring lion (1.Pet. 5:8-9)

e.     Avoid ones who causes division (Rom. 16:17-18)

f.     Purge out the leaven (1.Cor. 5:7-8)

Meeting 6 – Being an Overcomer

1.     Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown (Rev. 3:11-12)

a.     The open door means we have a choice to remain (Rev. 3:8)

b.    Must persevere (Rev. 3:10)

i.      Not a one day deal, but must be our living

ii.     One little conflict should not cause you to leave the church (Luke 6:47-49)

c.     Must hold fast (Rev. 3:11)

d.    Satan is trying to take away (Job 1:6-2:10)

2.     What to overcoming:

a.     Persecution from the outside – the church in Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11)

b.    The world – bringing in mixture into the church like Pergamos and Thyatira (Rev. 2:12-17; 2:18-29)

c.     Our flesh (Gal. 5:16-17)

d.    Persecution from within the church – (Acts 20:20-26)

i.      Dead doctrines and teachings – the church in Sardis (Rev. 3:1-7)

ii.     Fleshly opinions of the saints – the church in Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22)

3.     The Lord will make us a pillar (Rev. 3:12)

a.     Pillar, which cannot be shaken, is the base of the truth (1.Tim. 3:15)

b.    He shall go out no more (Rev. 3:12)

i.      Our consecration to the Lord

ii.     Not losing our first love (Rev. 2:4)

4.     The Lord will write on us (Rev. 3:12)

a.     The name of My God – having His holiness in our living

b.    City of my God, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from My God – the church being transformed and heavenly from God

c.     My new name – no room left for our old man, the flesh

Meeting 7 – Rewards for being Faithful

1.     He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (Rev. 3:13)

2.     We are to be kings (Rev. 1:6; 19:4, 6)

a.     Crown of righteousness (1.Tim. 4:8)

b.    Hold fast to what we have that no one may take your crown (Rev. 3:11)

3.     The rewards of overcoming

a.     Keep you from the hour of trial – the Great Tribulation (Rev. 3:10)

b.    Firstfruits taken to the throne – the rapture (Rev. 14:1-5)

c.     As the bride of Christ, to enjoy the wedding feast of the Lamb (Rev. 19:6-9)

d.    As God’s army, defeat God’s enemy (Rev. 19:11-21)

e.     Sit with Lord on His throne (Rev. 3:21)

i.      As co-kings and priests, reigning with Christ in the coming Millennial Kingdom (Rev. 20:4, 6)

ii.     Give him power over the nations (Rev. 2:26-27)